3 of the Greatest Uses of 1960s Country Songs in Film

These famous films used 1960s country songs in the best possible way. There really is an art to curating music for a film or TV show’s soundtrack, and the following three films really nailed it. Let’s take a look, shall we? You might recognize a few of these songs (or films) right away.

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‘The Strangers’ (2008)

Remember this horror film starring Liv Tyler? This psychological horror film is about a couple battling masked intruders in their vacation home. And it prominently features Merle Haggard’s famous song, “Mama Tried”, from 1968. It’s a fantastic use of the song on multiple levels. To start, “Mama Tried” is used to increase the tension of the film while the backstories of the film’s antagonists are revealed. Just as well, Merle Haggard’s band was called The Strangers. Layers and layers! Even if you’re not a fan of this particular film, it’s hard to disagree that this was a smart use of a 1960s country tune.

‘The Blues Brothers’ (1980)

The Blues Brothers, born from a Saturday Night Live sketch, is a comedic musical film. It’s about a convict and his brother who set out to save the orphanage in which they were raised from foreclosure. They put together their R&B band to do it, so you know there’s a ton of music involved. Not all of that music is blues, though. And the duo, played by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, performed some very different tunes. “Stand By Your Man”, first made popular by Tammy Wynette in 1968, is one country song that the duo performs.

‘Silent Hill’ (2006)

If you’re a fan of horror video games, you probably remember when the Western adaptation of the psychological horror series, Silent Hill, hit theaters in 2006. It’s a very spooky good time. The majority of the film’s soundtrack borrows from Akira Yamaoka and Jeff Danna’s compositions from the first four games in the Silent Hill series. However, just one song was curated from way back in the 1960s. That would be Johnny Cash’s iconic 1963 tune, “Ring Of Fire”. Considering the film is set in an abandoned town sat above a perpetually burning mine, I’d say this was great use of one of the best 1960s country songs.

Photo by Gai Terrell/Redferns